Home Work
by Larania Drake
Summary: Life goes on, even after something as big as The Almost End of the World. Though maybe Wolfram and Yuuri would prefer otherwise, when it comes to notstudying and evil mothers. Sequel to Forgotten, mpreg
1. Chapter 1

**Home Work**

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maou does not belong to me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Pairing: Wolfram and Yuuri, others mentioned

A/N: My threatened mpreg story. Well, sort of mpreg. This is the sequel to Forgotten, and will hopefully be mostly fluff, but with some angst in for flavor.

As for the ending of the previous arc; yes, bringing Yuuri's family there was something of a dues ex machina. However, that is exactly what Yuuri gave up. He gave up Earth. He fully believed when he made the contract that is what it would involve- leaving everything behind. Shinou could no longer send Yuuri home, but his family could visit. A happy sort of ending would fit the series, if not my story. shrugs That's how I wanted to end it… And plus, well… I love Miko and Shori too much to write them out.

Yuuri stared at the Giant Book of Mazoku Ritual in front of him, eyes bugging out at the sheer _weight_ of the volume.

In it was every single ritual and holiday, the history of those rituals and holidays, the way they were performed, the reasons behind them, and comparisons to rituals and holidays in adjoining countries. It held, according to Gunter, the meaning of every single piece of flatware in Shin Makoku, the implications of actions taken with said flatware. It included the meanings of various slaps, jabs, and pats. The tome contained every special day from how to celebrate a birthday to Hug the Sand Bear day, and everything in between.

Gunter told him to have it read by next Tuesday.

Yuuri was wigging out.

"But Murata," the Maou whined, shaking his shaggy hair out of his eyes. "How can I have it all read in three days? I've got paperwork, I've got training-"

"A fiancé who chases you around the bedroom at night," Murata added, amused. He leaned over Yuuri's shoulder to peer at the book. It was extremely old, and in horrible shape. From the stains on the cover it had been used for a coaster on more than one occasion- and there were more than a few bug parts stuck to it. Murata whistled.

"Just imagine how many spiders you could take out with that thing…"

Yuuri shuddered.

"But I don't think I could even move this thing, much less read it!" he whined, attempting to pick it up. He did manage to heft it off the desk, but its weight threw him off balance.

"Hey, Shibuya- need some help?" Murata asked, noticing that the king was swaying back and forth.

"Tha-AH-at would be nice!" Yuuri yelped, stumbling backwards. His feet slapped against the floor as he struggled to find his balance-

"Whoa!"

"Shibuya!"

Attempting to regain his balance, Yuuri grabbed the covers of the book-

Which promptly fell apart, half of it falling into the fireplace- and Yuuri tried to save it by dumping a pitcher of water on the fire. This resulted in, not saving the book, but sodden ashes.

"Ahhh! Gunter is going to kill me! He told me he wanted to see me reading from that book until next Tuesday! What am I going to do?" Yuuri resumed the buggy dance. "I don't know if I can find another copy of that book anywhere!"

"All he wanted to do was see you reading that book?" Murata said, rubbing his chin. "Er… well. I know of a book almost like that…"

Yuuri grabbed Murata's shoulders. "You do? Where? Please, I'll do anything!

"Er… well…" Murata stalled. "Its not really the same book, but it looks similar…" He hemmed and hawed for a few minutes. "But it's not like I can't tell you anything you need to know about the local culture. All you need is to be seen reading a really thick, old book, right?"

Yuuri nodded, still dancing around the wet sodden pile of ancient paper.

Murata smiled and nodded. "I'll go get it for you…er… wait, I'll need to get some help carrying it…"

"What is it?" Yuuri asked, pausing in his dance now that he didn't have to worry about Gunter crying.

"It's my old journal."

"Your journal?" Yuuri was skeptical. Then it dawned on him what Murata might mean by "old". "You wrote a journal when you were Daikenja-sama?"

Murata nodded. "Just poke through it- it might help you learn a few things."

Yuuri's eyes lit up- he was more than a bit curious- before cringing. "Murata… will it mention… who I had been?" He really did _not_ like to be reminded of his being the Sovereign.

Murata shrugged eloquently. "Yes, it does. It also mentions all the ancestors of the keys, and Shinou, and what life had been like back then. You were never an evil person, Yuuri. That thing that had you corrupted your soul. You made an honest mistake, and it was an accident that you found the wrong power to call."

Yuuri sighed, and nodded. "All right… Just don't tell anyone I didn't do my homework, okay?"

Murata snickered. "Just make sure _you_ don't get caught. Ask me before you even _think_ about participating in _anything_. Got it?"

Yuuri nodded. Considering that he had gotten engaged- the first time- totally by accident…

"Well, maybe it's not a bad thing?" he said absently. After all, now that he had gotten Wolfram through an accident of custom…

Okay, well, he'd resented for the first year. It wasn't until Wolfram had lost his memory and Murata had made it his purpose in life to make Yuuri gay that he had considered Wolfram seriously.

He could feel a silly grin spreading over his face as he remembered what Wolfram had done the other night-

"Whatever you are thinking about," Murata cut in on his happy lecherous thoughts. "I don't want to know."

Yuuri covered his mouth with his hand to hide the cheesy grin.

* * *

Two months had gone by since the boxes had been unleashed, and things were settling down peacefully.

It seemed to Wolfram, however, that the last bastion of heterosexuality in the country was fading.

"Mother," he asked, looking at the bombshell blond as she hovered over the smaller form of Flurin. "Ah… Exactly how did you promise to help Flurin-san?"

His mother fluttered her eyelashes at her very unimpressed youngest offspring. "Well, the Blessing of Children _is_ coming up," she said flirtatiously. "I was wondering if I would get a few grandchildren out of it- it only comes every five years, after all."

"Eh?" Yuuri looked at the speakers, who seemed to have begun talking in another language. "You mean there is another time when Shinou gathers the kids for a blessing?"

Wolfram shook his head. "Hadn't you read that part in the book? It's where all the people who want children in the coming years gather to be blessed with fertility."

"And I think little Wolfy should go," Celi-sama piped up. "I want to see little Wolframs and Yuuris running around."

Wolfram blushed. "Mother! We're too young!" he sounded scandalized.

"Right, right, book," Yuuri said with a strained smile. "Yeah, I've been reading it."

Wolfram sighed in relief, though he looked wistful.

Yuuri reached over to rub his back.

"Flurin has to prove that she can bear a child, so that she can reign over Caloria legally," Celi-sama answered. "Apparently…"

Flurin smiled painfully. "We had adopted a child… however, there is a person claiming to be an heir out of wedlock. I need to prove that I am not barren so that I can continue to reign."

This really didn't make any sense to Yuuri, Wolfram could tell. Some of the laws in the human countries were just plain baffling.

"But wouldn't you need to have a baby to prove that-" he started, and Flurin blushed.

"Yes, well, the laws were written for men. I am the first female ruler of Caloria…"

"I have been telling Flurin-san some of the option women have here in Shin Makoku, or the options any couple or person has when they want a child," Celi said serenely, smiling over at Wolfram, who groaned and turned away.

"Mother, please don't remind me."

Yuuri's head was swiveling back and forth between them.

"Is there something here I'm missing?"

Wolfram shot his mother a glare. "It's nothing important."

She giggled. "Well, as I was telling Flurin-chan, there are a lot of options for a Mazoku if they want children. The one she has already taken, and what you two have also done, is adopt. That's popular- especially since there has been so much conflict lately. There are many children without parents, and parents without children. Though apparently Shimaron law will not allow adoptive children to take their parents' titles…" She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "A sad thing. Other options include hiring someone to either sire or bear your child. Yet that can get hairy when bloodlines are concerned."

"I have flouted too many of the laws already, by taking leadership of Caloria," Flurin was apologetic. "I have to give the appearance of following some of them, if to keep the loyalty of my people."

Yuuri frowned.

"Then you want to get married again?" he asked, confused.

Flurin winced.

"I am afraid… that it is true. I am barren. And more to the point, I don't want to deal with marriage again. I loved Norman, my husband, and I am just as married to Caloria. Marrying again would just be too much."

Yuuri blinked.

"That's why I invited her for the Blessing- it grants fertility to all couples- and to those who wish children, they may take a partner that night and have their wish granted," Celi smiled, serene.

Wolfram's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I'm happy that you get this chance, Flurin-san," Yuuri said, blithely. "You'll be a wonderful mother."

Wolfram's eyebrow twitched, looking entirely too much like Gwendal listening to one of Anissina's mad schemes.

"What's wrong Wolfram?" Yuuri peered into his face. "Are you jealous?" He smiled slyly. "Its all right- I already think you're a great father. Greta adores you."

Wolfram felt his stomach twist, and he turned away. "It's just that I think I'm too young to fully participate," he muttered, looking down at his feet.

"That's okay," Yuuri said. He was glad he could gloss over his lack of knowledge.

Celi squealed. "You'll come give us your blessing, won't you, Yuuri-heika?" she glommed his arm, earning two angry glares from the bystanders.

"Well, as long as I don't participate," the Maou squeaked, while Wolfram muttered in the background.

"All you have to do is wish us luck," the sexy woman said, turning to pull Flurin to her. Wolfram smacked his face and muttered a little more.

The only phrase Yuuri could understand was "little sister".

"Everything is set! You can join us in three nights!" Celi said- before grabbing Flurin's arm and pulling her away.

Wolfram and Yuuri watched the blond dragging the blue haired woman.

"Mother…"

Yuuri smiled and shrugged, turning to Wolfram. "That's Celi-sama for you. I don't think there will be a problem with me going and saying a few words… right?"

Wolfram shrugged his shoulder, jaw working. "No. Nothing wrong at all."

* * *

Two night's later, Yuuri was sitting in his room, next to the fire with several candles, totally engrossed in the heavy tome that pinned him to the overstuffed chair.

_I scrambled away from the men who surrounded me, thinking only how unfair it was. I did not ask for my hair and eyes to be the accursed color black. Nor did I ever wish to do more than study my books and learn along with the Wincott brothers- yet the village mob had cast me out anyways._

_There was a stirring in the water next to me- and I knew that there were no water mages in the mob- _

_A golden haired figure emerged; the most beautiful I have seen in my life. He was a youth- not quite a man full grown, but he held a sword in his hand._

_His eyes met mine, crystal blue, and my throat closed up, a moment before he turned to the horde that had surrounded me._

"_Who are you?" the leader asked, and the blond smiled grimly._

"_Not one to be trifled with. Let this boy go," he said, gesturing at me with his blade. _

_They began to posture- and as transfixed as I was with this man, I did not linger. Instead I ran for my life- _

_It was only later that Crystal Wincott told me that this was the hero we had been waiting for._

Yuuri took a bite of his apple, eyes wide. Daikenja-sama's journal, ancient as it was, had been copied twice since it was first written, and still this book was yellow with age, many of the pages barely clinging to the binding.

He was careful with it, keeping his damp fingers away… But he was still enthralled. There were times when the ancient Mazoku tongue was hard to make out or understand, and many more when he had to find a dictionary to figure out some of the words, and others when he had to make notes to ask Murata about later…

Still, it was fascinating. If he was right, this was the first time Murata had met Shinou… and Murata had not changed.

He made a face. It appeared running away was something he had done in every life.

"Enjoying yourself?" a voice interrupted his musings. Looking up, Yuuri saw the devil he was thinking of: Murata Ken, all in black, with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"I was thinking you hadn't changed at all, Murata."

The Great Sage laughed. "Ah- that part. Well, I found a reason to stand and fight later."

Yuuri made a face. "Is something wrong?"

"Can't I just drop in for a visit?" the Sage said, the firelight glinting off his glasses.

"No," Yuuri replied promptly. He had learned just a _tiny_ bit in his time since he had come to Shin Makoku.

Murata sighed. "I'm going to go back to Earth for a few days."

Yuuri went still. "Ah," he finally said, fixing a smile on his face. "Tell my parents I love them, okay?"

Murata walked over, putting a hand on Yuuri's shoulder. "I'll bring them back with me for a visit, okay?"

Yuuri nodded. While it was great that he could see his loved ones from Earth- he missed the world itself, no matter how much he adored Shin Makoku.

"In the meantime- don't do anything I wouldn't do, okay?" the really old young man chirped. Yuuri snickered.

"Well, there is the Blessing of Children thing."

Murata's eyebrows hit his hair line.

"I'm not going to do anything! I'm just going to go give a speech or say "Good luck" or something like that," Yuuri hastily reassured him.

"Oh good; that's one of the more powerful and eccentric rituals of the Mazoku," Murata said, relaxing. Then he tilted his head, and laughed a bit. "Well, I'll see you in a few days."

Yuuri nodded. "Wolfram will be back- he's been chewing out his mother."

"Celi-sama? Yes, I've heard she's branching out."

With a final laugh at Yuuri's confused expression, the Great Sage turned to leave.

"Bye!"

* * *

Standing in the inner sanctum of the Palace of the Original King, Murata looked up at the portrait with an amused grin.

"Is there a particular reason you aren't interfering?"

/ _I don't feel like it. /_

"Well, I have a feeling you don't have to do the interfering this time- you will perform this "blessing" as normal, and let someone else take the credit for the outcome, or the blame."

He was answered with silence.

"You don't want to directly influence this, but you aren't going to stop it, are you?" Murata sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Geeze." Then his eyes softened, smiling up at the portrait. "You could get a headache trying to figure all this time mess out."

His answer this time was a quiet chuckle.

/ _They_ _had to make their decisions in the present. No matter what knowledge I have of the future, to tell them the outcome would be unfair. Besides… /_

Murata swallowed at the wistful longing in Shinou's mental 'voice'; wishing for once that the bittersweet pain would go away.

"We'll let nature- and bad study habits- take their course then, shall we?" Murata said. There was a feeling of a phantom arm thrown over his shoulders.

/ _Ken, you need to get laid. /_

"So says the several thousand year old celibate."

/ _Semantics. I'm a disembodied spirit, you're not. /_

Murata laughed, rubbing his eyes, and headed to one of the fountains.

He still had his best friend- both of them. What did he really have to complain about?

Besides, he needed to start thinking about baby names.

To be continued.

A/N: And here it is: the first chapter of the second arc, which is mainly humor. Yuuri is going to kill me while Wolfram is going to kill me and his mother.


	2. Beware drinks from strangers

**Home Work**

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maou does not belong to me, and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Pairing: Wolfram and Yuuri, many others mentioned.

A/N: Yay. Second chapter. Here we will explore the frightening world of Mazoku rituals.

_So far, so good,_ Yuuri thought, watching the various participants of the Blessing. They had gathered, listening to his rambling speech on the joys of parenthood and responsibility and wishing them all luck, before standing back next to Ulrike.

Beside him was Celi-sama and Flurin, who were nervously not-looking at each other.

A cup was making the rounds; Yuuri eyed it warily but most of the participants had begun to act vaguely drunk… In fact, it was starting to remind him of a giant party.

Celi-sama handed him the cup, smiling.

"Have a drink?" she coaxed.

Yuuri took the ornate goblet without thinking, and halted a moment before it touched his lips.

"This doesn't mean I'm getting married to anyone, does it?" he asked, suspicious.

Celi-sama shook her golden head gaily. "No- then it would mean I had married Flurin-chan and that is something both of us would like to avoid," she said, cheerfully.

He tried to think logically, rationally, consider all the options…

"Though it would be extremely rude if you were here and didn't drink, too," the ex-queen murmured, and that settled that. Yuuri could just _imagine_ the consequences of offending all these people- silverware would never stop hitting the floor.

Besides, it's not like he had to worry about being fertile, and a little sip couldn't hurt, could it?

That being said, Yuuri put his lips on the goblet, tipping it upwards, barely managing to swallow.

Sheer will was what kept him from spewing the fluid over his friends, and gagging as he swallowed the gunk.

"Well now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Celi said, clapping him on the back. Yuuri eyeballed her. There was a lot more going on but because he couldn't admit his ignorance and just _ask…_

"You should be going home to Wolfram now," she said, entirely too cheerful. "You'll want to see him, won't you?"

Yuuri knew he had been had. Just somehow, he _knew_ he had been had.

Ulrike, who had been watching the entire thing, covered her mouth with her hand. If even the small Maiden could find this amusing, then there had to be something wrong.

Well, they certainly wouldn't get him. He would go home right _now_.

"I'll be going," he said petulantly. The stuff in his stomach was churning. Maybe he had gas?

The girls continued to giggle (giving Yuuri a bad flashback to the many yaoi fan girls) and he flounced away. A carriage was waiting for him; he had arrived via horse but at that moment he was grateful for it. Whatever it was that he'd drunk was going straight to his head.

He fidgeted with impatience as he stepped up into the small carriage, wishing he could pace as the driver set off.

The uneasy feeling in his stomach was turning into a steady cramp, and that cramp was getting worse.

He winced, looking around. If it wasn't just his luck to get sick after drinking the stuff… The rest of his body was aching in sympathy-

That ache turned into a lightening fast stab, making him double over as a fist of pain crushed his heart and lungs, fingers clawing into the plush cushion below him.

Then as soon as it started, it was over, making him feel weak and watery. It left him limp over the carriage seat, staring up at the ceiling for several moments.

After a few moments of remembering how to breathe, the Maou blinked. The pain was gone, leaving only a dim soreness in his belly.

His thoughts were disconnected- not like they had been when he'd been possessed by more along the lines of:

"Oh, the cushions are purple. I like purple. Purple is nicer than black. Does Wolfram like purple? He always wears blue and I like blue when he wears it. I wonder where Wolfram is? He didn't want to go but I miss him and I miss him a lot and he's prettier than purple. I like his green eyes… green is pretty…"

A bit of sanity in the back of his mind noted that he felt strung out. Perhaps the drink had been a drug? Whatever it was…

He felt fluffy. Pink, too. He didn't know that a person could feel "pink" but for some reason that summed up exactly what he was feeling.

The weakness that had oozed through him was pleasant… but he really didn't want to keep lying on the cushions. After all, Wolfram wasn't on those cushions and Wolfram was who Yuuri really wanted. No offense meant to the cushions.

The carriage eventually stopped, and Yuuri opened the door- and saw no one outside. That was good- he didn't want to see anyone else anyways.

The entire palace seemed unusually empty. Of course, this made total and complete sense. It was late. Therefore smart people were in bed. Smart people were in bed screwing.

Oooh… whatever it was he'd been drinking was _really_ going to his head. Both heads.

Tee-hee.

That was a really immature joke; he shouldn't be making such silly jokes… but it was funny…

Really. Maybe he should ask Wolfram?

The thought of Wolfram made his knees go weak with longing- all he wanted was to find his fiancé, and hold him, kiss him… be pounded into the sheets…

With a silly smile, he noticed that the light was on to his bedroom. Wolfram had to be there… a shadow was moving back and forth beneath the door.

He grinned, slowly pushing the door open.

* * *

Wolfram noticed something immediately strange the next morning when he awoke.

It was hardly the first time he had awakened to find himself hopelessly tangled with Yuuri. It was definitely not strange to awaken with a delicious afterglow, or sticky and sweaty.

Smiling faintly, not opening his eyes quite yet, he let his fingers trail over Yuuri's chest-

It squished.

Eyes flying open, they bulged when Wolfram saw the reason. Yuuri…

Yuuri had breasts.

"Oh _hell!"_ Wolfram whispered, nearly hissing. "Yuuri- I thought you weren't going to participate."

The noise- and the fact that he had squeezed Yuuri's chest a little too hard- caused his lover to jolt awake, inhaling.

"Oi, Wolfram. What's wrong?" Yuuri asked, eyes half glued shut.

"I thought you had said you weren't going to participate in the ritual- just say a few words," Wolfram asked, at a loss. It wasn't that he was mad about it- far from it- but he had thought Yuuri agreed they were too young and even if he _loved_ the idea of Yuuri bearing his children, to do so, so soon…

"What do you mean?" Yuuri mumbled, into his (her?) pillow. "I went, I gave a speech and then Celi-sama asked me to drink something and… Wolfram, you don't look well…"

Probably not, Wolfram agreed. He could feel the blood draining from his face when Yuuri had mentioned his mother.

"Yuuri," he said, trying to stay conscious. Then it hit him. "You didn't read the book."

The dark haired Maou's eyes bulged, screaming "caught!" half a second before he noticed that his chest felt different. Another second of processing occurred- Wolfram watched the different emotions cross Yuuri's face with fascination-

Yuuri looked down at his breasts and opened his mouth to scream.

Wolfram had fortunately thought enough to snap his hand over Yuuri's mouth, muffling the scream so that he would not wake the whole castle, and have a moment to think.

"_WHY didn't you read the book?"_ he hissed.

Yuuri was frantically looking down at his-herself, hands moving down her body to her groin, mouth flapping open and shut.

"Yuuri! I _know_ you- _Why didn't you read the book?"_

"I-" Yuuri was trying to hyperventilate.

"Focus on me, Yuuri," Wolfram grabbed her arms. The whole situation pissed him off- and he had a good idea who was behind it- but Yuuri, having no idea what was going on… "Focus on me and breathe. What happened?"

"I- I- I- burned the book. I picked it up to read it and lost my balance and dropped it before I could get started and it fell in the fire and then I tossed water on it trying to save it and then it just sort of fell apart and why do I have girl parts?"

"Its part of the ritual- fertility is granted to all couples who join in. Meaning if you are barren, you'll be able to have a baby, once. If its two women- one of the couple will become male long enough to impregnate the other. If its two men, you have one turn into a woman long enough to give birth." Wolfram bit his lip.

"Couldn't I have just been a pregnant man?" Yuuri wailed.

Wolfram's eyebrow's twitched. "Then where would the baby come out?"

Yuuri was so confused… It was impossible to stay shocked or mad with Yuuri for long when he (she?) was despondent. Grabbing her (him?) by the shoulders, Wolfram pulled Yuuri to his chest, grunting slightly with the effort- he had yet to regain his full strength after the battle with the Sovereign.

"Yuuri… why didn't you tell us? Or at least tell me? I could have explained to you. I would have gone if you had really wanted children…"

Yuuri stared at him, eyes wide. "Really?"

"Well, Greta shouldn't be an only child," Wolfram said plainly. "And the idea of you surrounded by babies-"

He cut off, blushing.

Yuuri looked away.

* * *

Yuuri had awakened to a hiss and a squeeze- and found once again that the nightmare had not ended

"I didn't mean to do anything," he (she?) said, plaintively. "Celi-sama told me I'd offend almost all the people in the room if I didn't take a sip- and I could just _see_ the silverware falling…"

Yuuri was still dealing with the gender identity crisis. (S)he did not want to even consider the possibility…

Wolfram closed his eyes, a low growl coming from his throat.

"How long am I going to be a girl?" Yuuri squeaked. It was embarrassing, and on top of th-that…

"While you are carrying the child," Wolfram said, swallowed, and focused back on Yuuri.

Yup. That was what Yuuri was afraid of. There was a dull roaring in Yuuri's ears as the world was washed over in gray, toppling over in to the blankets.

"Yuuri! Yuuri!" he heard Wolfram shout, and there was a stinging slap on his face.

"Wolfram?" Yuuri whimpered, coming back around. "Did I hear that right?"

Wolfram took a deep breath.

Yuuri knew what Wolfram would say, but didn't want to hear it.

"Yuuri- if you don't want to-" he could hear the pain in Wolfram's voice. "If you don't- you could… there are ways to not have children, it's only been a day…"

That brought his confused spiral to a halt. The sheer pain in Wolfram's voice- not to mention the idea of killing a baby, even one not quite all there yet-

Looking into Wolfram's face, Yuuri swallowed.

It was too much.

"Wolfram… Do you want this?" It came out as a whisper.

The blond gave Yuuri a choppy nod.

"Why?"

"I want to have children, with you." Wolfram looked away. "And if… if the past couple of months are any indication, I have no idea much time we'll have together. If something were to happen to either of us…"

The breath stuck in Yuuri's throat. Wolfram sounded… Grabbing Wolfram's shoulders, Yuuri stared into his face.

"Wolfram- I… I don't want to hurt a baby. And, and… All right. I think I'll be okay," Yuuri mumbled, burying her face again in Wolfram's shoulder. The blond soldier said nothing, just held Yuuri while she tried to calm down.

"Wolfram?"

"Yes, Yuuri?" he murmured, stroking her hair.

"I'm scared."

"Me too."

"You still want this?"

"Yes."

Then Yuuri groaned, as something occurred to her.

"My mom is going to get me into that wedding dress. I just _know_ it."

Wolfram had the cheek to laugh.

To be continued.

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but this part was harder to write than I thought it would be. It felt so incredibly cliché but… there aren't that many ways to get a person pregnant… I think. Well, I hope you all liked it.

I've been distracted with "Sunshine" and how to write the third part of the arc, and how much angst I want to add to this one.

Well, gah… It might have been better if I had written it as a separate story outside of the "Forgotten" series, but if I didn't write it together, it probably never would have gotten written. Bah humbug and merry Christmas.

Oh yes, and Shori is going to strangle Wolfram. Yay.


	3. Yay! I'm a big sister!

**Home Work III**

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maou does not belong to me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Pairings: Wolfram and Yuuri, others mentioned.

A/N: I'm still going to be referring to Yuuri as a "he" despite his sex change. Yuuri still thinks of himself as a guy… despite his new plumbing.

Yuuri looked at himself in the mirror, shaking his head.

There was not much of a difference now that he was fully clothed; his chest was almost flat, and his hips barely wider than they had been. His face was completely the same.

Tugging at the collar of his uniform, he turned to Wolfram, who was eyeing him from his seat on the bed.

"Do you think I make an ugly girl?" he asked, suddenly self conscious.

Wolfram shook his head, frowned, and finally shrugged. "You've always been adorable to me."

Yuuri blushed, and patted his middle.

"So you really think-"

"That's how the ritual works, Yuuri. You go the palace, drink from the ritual cup, and the change happens. You and your partner make love, and the seed is planted. If it hadn't worked, you probably would have become male again." Here he looked vaguely disturbed about something, but Yuuri could not guess what.

"There's no chance that I could hide this?" It was still embarrassing, with what had happened to the Giant Book of Mazoku Ritual.

Wolfram's eyebrows shot up. "A Mazoku pregnancy takes longer than a human one, but still, wouldn't it become obvious?"

Yuuri's shoulders hunched over, hands unconsciously covering his belly. "But I burned the book…"

"This is our baby here." Wolfram walked up, and wrapped his arms around Yuuri from behind. "They will be okay with it. After all…"

Yuuri felt the hair on the back of his neck rise when he felt Wolfram's growl.

"This was all Mother's idea."

* * *

Wolfram frowned, as he followed the hall to his mother's bedroom. He had left Yuuri to his own devices for a bit, citing that he needed to handle a little business… being deliberately vague, of course.

He mentally prepared himself for the inevitable hug, and who knows what… He also wondered what he would see when he arrived in her bedchamber. She was usually discreet with her men, if not with her clothes, but this was… something else entirely.

The blond soldier worried his bottom lip, as he stood by her door. He had been full of righteous anger before, but now…

He raised his hand- when the door opened, revealing a pair of heavy teal eyes and mussed blue hair. Flurin looked at Wolfram with a start, and blanched slightly.

"Von Bielefeld-kyo," she murmured, and Wolfram could see his mother over the top of her head.

"Ah," he said, awkwardly. Not that there was anything _wrong_ with his mother caring for a woman, it was…

"Um," Wolfram groped for words. Flurin was a brave, clever woman, despite her humanity- and a distant relative of the Wincott family, to boot. Still…

"I'd like to talk to my mother."

Flurin turned to his mother, who smiled at her. Flurin raised an eyebrow, her hesitation showing that she would like to stay… Then Celi shook her head, walking to the door wrapped in her robe.

"Dear, this is something I need to settle with my son alone. I'll talk to you later, all right?" Celi said, kissing her lips briefly.

Wolfram blushed and looked away. It didn't matter how old he was, or how often he kissed or loved Yuuri; seeing his mother kiss someone was still embarrassing.

The lovely Flurin left, smiling impishly at his mother before closing the door behind her, and Wolfram sighed in exasperation.

"Mother… Why?"

Celi smiled at Wolfram, walking out to the small courtyard attached to her rooms.

"There are a lot of reasons, dear."

Wolfram followed her out, attempting to keep his patience while she knelt in her scanty robe before a row of her special flowers.

"Flurin is someone I admire. She is someone in a similar situation… and I like her a great deal." She turned her eyes to Wolfram. "I understand what it is I'm doing, Wolfram. There will be another half-breed child brought into the world."

Wolfram nodded.

"Do you know why I am not afraid for this child, and why Flurin and I both agreed?"

Wolfram shook his head.

"In the time that Yuuri-heika has been here, there has been a different feeling in the air. I know you know that. Humans and Mazoku are meeting each other and talking, instead of spilling blood. Hope and spring bloom and never seem to fade." She again turned to her flowers. "This child is being born in the right time, and the right place. We both feel that."

"How can you…" Wolfram couldn't make himself finish the sentence. _How can you love another human, when the last time hurt so badly?_

"Flurin is young, and I am not so much. More to the point, we both know you only have a moment to love and live. We will make the best of the time given us, like I did with Dan Hiri, and she did with her husband Norman."

Wolfram frowned, and shook his head. This wasn't why he was here.

"Mother, why did you encourage Yuuri to drink from the cup? You had to have guessed he didn't know what was going on," he accused. It was a very sore spot for him.

Celi giggled, then sobered. "Come now, if I can experiment with women, so can you."

"_Mother_."

She sighed, and plucked a flower, gently caressing the petals. "There have been times, that I have felt you were not ours to keep; it was as I had borrowed you. That any time, any day, Shinou would come and take you from us because he needed you more."

Not seeing Wolfram's suddenly pale face, she went on, putting the blossom, Beautiful Wolfram, in his lapel.

"You love each other, and I want Yuuri to have a piece of you to keep." Her hand went to her youngest son's face. "I've been a very lucky woman. All of my boys have been safe, and come back to me, when so many mothers have lost their children." She gently combed her fingers through Wolfram's blond hair. "I also know that won't last forever. Wolfram… dear Wolfram, please don't begrudge me this," she softly pleaded.

He put his arms around his mother's shoulders, hugging her tightly so not to have to see the tears starting. Wolfram didn't know if she knew of the devil's bargain he had made with Shinou to save Yuuri, but he knew she understood that time was limited.

"It's all right, mother," he said softly, petting her hair. "It will be all right."

"Do you hate me then?"

"No. I'm just… annoyed. If I had decided, it would have been me undergoing the ritual."

"And you don't know what to do with a girl body," she added. Wolfram wished briefly that he wasn't trying to comfort her so he could glare.

"Mother…"

* * *

Yuuri looked at himself in the mirror. There was something wrong with his profile and he kept twisting and moving around, looking at himself.

Nine months, or however long a Mazoku pregnancy would take. Yuuri's eye twitched. He would be in the body of a woman; a pregnant woman.

God.

Looking down at his middle, he tried to imagine himself with a big belly. Then he imagined himself holding a baby… and he felt his stomach flutter. Would the baby look like him, or Wolfram? Would it be a boy or a girl? Would Greta like being a big sister?

Taking a deep breath, he checked himself over once more. No, it was not immediately noticeable at all that he was female…

Walking carefully, he strode down the hall to find Greta's bedroom. She had the right to know, first off.

The door was open, and Greta was awake, combing her hair to get ready for the new day.

"Yuuri!" she shrieked, throwing herself at him after dropping her comb. "Good morning! Did Yuuri sleep well?"

The Maou felt a blush start over his cheeks, and nodded. "After the ritual…"

"Oooh! Celi-sama told me all about it!" Greta's eyes sparkled, and then her face fell. "But you said you weren't going to…"

He cleared his throat. "Well, about that…"

"Ah, Heika!" Conrad said, suddenly arriving in the door. Yuuri jumped about two feet, whirling around to look at him. "I was looking for you!"

Yuuri started sweating. "Really?"

Conrad nodded, opening his mouth to say something, Gwendal arrived, looking harried, and dodged into Greta's closet.

"You didn't see me!" he hissed.

There was a terrifying cackle as Gwendal disappeared, revealing Anissina at the door. Conrad smiled while Yuuri sweated more.

"Excuse me, has anyone seen Gwendal?" she asked, then knelt before Greta. "Oh, Greta! How have you been? Have you seen your Uncle Gwendal anywhere?"

Greta, like everyone else, was cut off when the last member of this debacle arrived, bawling loudly and colliding with enough force to knock Yuuri off his feet-

-and Gunter's hands went to an extremely uncomfortable place and-

He squeezed- making Yuuri yelp in pain before the entire room went silent.

"Heika?" Gunter's eyes were wide. He had yet to remove his hands, and absently squeezed again.

"Gunter, that hurts."

"Oooh," the man said, eyes turning bright. "Oh, Heika… You decided to join in the ritual, didn't you?" Gunter's voice caught. "What love! What devotion! To decide on your own to bear Wolfram's child and surprise him!"

He let go of Yuuri (who staggered before falling on his bum) to bawl. "Your child will be so beautiful, Heika! A child of two such people… Oh!" he nearly danced away, leaving Yuuri to stare at him in disbelief.

Yuuri's eyebrow twitched as everyone in the room turned to him. "It wasn't quite like that…"

"I'm going to be a big sister?" Greta beamed, grabbing Yuuri's hand.

Conrad's face was blank, while Anissina cackled louder. "Amazing! A man who can understand a woman's plight can only be good for the kingdom!"

Gwendal, in absolute shock, stumbled out of the closet and turned to his younger brother.

"Conrad!"

The half human blinked, coming to attention.

"We're going to be uncles again!" Amazingly, all the wrinkles on his face were lost as he smiled broadly… leaving everyone in the room to go silent and pale with surprise.

Yuuri, who was still trying to explain what had actually happened, just whimpered.

"Oh, heika! You are very delicate right now! I'll send for Gisela!" Gunter declared, before yanking the poor traumatized Yuuri to his feet and rushing out the door, tears streaming down his face.

Greta then wrapped her arms around Yuuri's waist, and started whispering to his stomach.

"I promise I'll be the best big sister you ever had," Greta promised, making Yuuri smile. "I'll show you all the best hiding places and how to get sweets from the maids and where to pick flowers and…I never thought my daddy would become a mommy."

Yuuri whimpered again.

Conrad smiled, before putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hm. I suppose the book became too much for you?" His eyebrow went up, and Yuuri flushed in embarrassment. Neither of them looked at Gwendal, who was shaking his fist with a determined expression, before pulling his knitting needles out of thin air.

However, Anissina _did_, and descended on the helpless man.

"Oh, thank you for coming back, Gwendal!" she caroled, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck. "We can invent something nice for the baby!"

Yuuri's eyes bulged. He had no idea who he felt more pity for, Gwendal or his future offspring.

Their eyes were on the door, and he saw two blond heads approaching… Celi-sama was giggling, and Wolfram just looked bewildered.

"Could someone tell me what's going on?" he asked, eyeing the strange tableau.

"I take it that this was a completely unplanned event?" Conrad said, rubbing his chin.

Yuuri nodded.

"But I had thought you read the book?"

Celi grinned wickedly. "Surely you know a boy's study habits better than that, Conrad."

Both brothers looked at each other, before Yuuri started waving his arms, and began the super caffeinated buggy dance (x 10).

"I was going to read it! But I accidentally dropped it in a fire then soaked it putting the fire out and I was _going_ to ask Murata about it but he went back to Earth and didn't say anything when I told him all I was going to do was tell everyone good luck! Then Celi-"

Both brothers sighed, and turned to their mother, who kept on giggling.

"-told me that I would offend everyone there and I could just _see_ every single knife falling from here to Small Shimaron and I don't know what they use for a duel over there maybe a drinking glass or a plate-"

"I want a little Yuuri or Wolfram," she finally said, smiling.

"You were there, mother?" Conrad said, frowning when he realized the implications. She nodded.

"-but I don't really want to find out and so went ahead and took a drink and then I felt pink, and I don't know how a person can feel _pink_ but before that I hurt like hell but then I really did feel _pink_ and-"

Wolfram grabbed Yuuri's shoulders.

"Stop."

Yuuri stopped.

"Breathe."

Yuuri started gulping air, having lost most of it; however, he had to wonder how long he would have rambled if Wolfram had not stopped him.

"We should leave now," he said quietly, looking at his half human brother and mother. Yuuri blinked, before they were pulled out of the room. "This may not be pleasant."

Yuuri glimpsed Conrad's stormy face as he gazed coldly at his mother, and they went on to breakfast.

* * *

The times of Earth and Shin Makoku seemed to move at different paces- sometimes completely different from each other, sometimes close…

Murata had a vague idea that Shinou knew more about that than he would ever let on.

Behind him, he felt Miko and Shori arrive, splashing upwards into the pool in the Original King's Palace. They were greeted by the excited squeals of the many priestesses, helping them out of the pool.

"Hello, Geika," Ulrike said, smiling gently. "Hello, Lady Miko and Lord Shori." The tiny woman chuckled as they emerged- and found their translation devices.

"Hello, Ulrike-chan!" Miko chirped, as one of the many priestesses offered her a towel. "How have you been?"

"I have been well," she replied, and Shori chuckled as he dried himself off.

"How has Yu-chan been?" he asked, toweling his hair. Murata smirked faintly, and he could almost hear Shinou's soft chuckles in the background.

"I believe that story would best be left to Maou-heika," Ulrike murmured. "Your escort will be here soon."

Shori, Murata could tell, was immediately suspicious; but he had always known Shori was intelligent. The Great Sage's amused thoughts were derailed when he saw their escort.

"Hello, Yozak!" he called, waving. The red haired man waved back, leading three horses. "How have things been since I've been gone?"

"Oh… nothing… disastrous," Yozak snickered. "But I think you'd better let the kiddo tell you himself."

Now both Shori _and_ Miko were getting suspicious.

Murata, of course, knew what had to have happened, but he was very amused by the soft whispers he heard between mother and son as they speculated on recent events.

"Oh boy. Whenever you smile like that I get worried, Geika," Yozak chuckled, raising an eyebrow at his companion. Murata didn't answer, just let his glasses flash above his wicked grin. Oh, but this would be _so_ amusing…

Shori and Miko were quite tense by the time they arrived at Blood Pledge Castle, getting a change of clothes before they walked to Shibuya's study.

"Yu-chan!" Miko called, throwing open the door and heading to her little boy.

Murata eyed the Maou, noting that while his hair and face were mostly the same his Adam's apple was all but gone. There was almost no difference in the chest area- if you weren't looking for it, but Murata was- and Yuuri definitely had a chest now.

Yuuri's eyes went wide when he saw his mother, and Murata stifled a laugh at the "deer in headlights" expression on his face.

/ Shinou, dear, you are an evil bastard. You know that/ he gleefully told his old friend.

/ For that, Ken, you get to be the godfather. Because I am evil bastard/ came the smug reply. / You had better come up with a good name. /

/ GAH! I'm no good with names! You know that/

His only answer was a laugh, and he could only fume at the man.

/ Just you wait. I'll name your offspring after myself and you'll hate me for the rest of eternity./

The laughter continued.

Sighing, Murata fixed his attention back to the world around him… and he saw that Miko was examining her youngest with an expression of concern.

"Yu-chan… is there something you would like to tell us?"

Shori's face was priceless, in Murata's opinion. Totally shocked and confused when his mother had started to peel open the front of her son's costume, staring in consternation as she drew the cloth taut to emphasize the breasts.

"Um… well… You see… There's this ritual in Shin Makoku where a couple, no matter the gender, can get children if they want them," Shibuya began, looking up at Wolfram for help. The soldier was standing next to him- they had been talking when the Shibuyas had arrived- and he cleared his throat.

"It changes the sex of one of the couple if that is what it takes for the offspring to be born," he said, nervously eyeing his soon to be in-laws. "And Yuuri accidentally participated."

Miko's sharp intake of air was overshadowed by Shori's sudden shift to "scary older brother".

"You- you- you're saying you got my _little brother_ pregnant?" he snarled, eyes wide and hunched over, taking ponderous steps to the hapless blond.

Wolfram just blinked at him, having adopted a similar expression to his fiancé.

"I understand you two being together before you are married- that I could live with- but you seduce him, and now you've gotten him _knocked up_- and you two aren't married? What kind of dishonorable, barbarian country is this?" the older Shibuya roared, advancing on Wolfram and wrapping his hands around his throat.

It didn't matter that Wolfram, as a far older person and experienced soldier should have been able to break free with little effort. Under normal circumstances Wolfram would have been able to handle Shori Shibuya without breaking a sweat.

However, the righteous wrath of a brother defending his younger sibling was something not even a soldier of Shin Makoku could handle. Especially when that brother had a point.

"But we are engaged, Shori," Yuuri protested, bouncing up from his desk and dancing around him. "If you kill him now you'll be leaving the baby without a father!"

His words went unheard as Wolfram began to turn blue.

"Shori! Stop it!"

"No! Not until you get married so that this child will be legitimate!" he snarled, shaking Wolfram like a dog with a rag.

"We can't get married if you kill him!"

That finally broke through to the obsessed older brother's fevered mind, and he let go of Wolfram's throat.

"You had better," he snarled, turning on Yuuri. "I thought you had been brought up better than this!" he despaired.

Yuuri laughed weakly as fluttered over his lover. He looked over Shori's shoulder to see Murata howling with laughter in the background as Wolfram regained his normal coloring.

"Uh… well, it really was unplanned… it's not like I had any idea what I was doing…"

Before Shori could go off on another tirade, Miko put in her two cents.

"So you'll be wearing a dress?" she said, clapping her hands together. "Oh, you could wear my old dress! You'll look so beautiful, Yu-chan! It's been years since I was able to dress you up!"

The entire castle was able to hear Yuuri's scream of frustration.

To be continued.

A/N: I hope this was funny enough to counteract the angst I tossed in. I'm still wondering how long this arc should be. There are a lot of things I would like to explore in this timeline, but I'm not sure where to put them. Probably, most of the odds and ends will wind up in this arc. The sequel I've already entitled "Believe in Time", and that's the whole reawakening of Shinou.


	4. Wedding PreparationsBlues

**Homework IV**

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maou does not belong to me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Pairings: Wolfram and Yuuri, others mentioned.

A/N: The only story I can still find online that mentions Mazoku pregnancy is mousapelli's "Pandabearia" arc. Go read it http/ . It's hilarious. She mentions that the pregnancy would be about two years for a full Mazoku, should be four, because of how slowly Mazoku age.

Good ideas, but here is why I won't be following that. Humans and Mazoku are cross fertile, obviously. In fact, the only real difference seems to be life span and Majyutsu- something related to the soul. Genetics don't seem to be a major factor. I had likened it somewhat to the differences between tigers and lions. They are cross fertile and can produce offspring that are fertile. They just happen to find each other so ugly that they won't crossbreed unless forced. Well, humans and Mazoku don't have to be forced so I'm guessing they are basically the same species with a few mutations thrown in. Or something of the like. So, for the sake of argument: Mazoku pregnancy takes about a year. (If I make it longer, I am likely to have the Maou Bitchslap of Justice delivered upon me.)

Arrangements for a royal wedding were always a hassle, and Yuuri was beginning to wonder if Celi-sama might have the right idea.

"Do I have to wear the dress?" he whined, looking at the abomination his mother was helping Celi-sama design. It turned out that she couldn't bring her old dress from Earth to here.

Yuuri had to wonder if that was a favor or not. Her old dress hadn't been that bad…

He just objected to wearing a dress _at all._

In the end, though, no matter how much he protested, no matter how much he complained…

"Mom, I'm a guy! Guys don't wear dresses to get married, even if it is to another guy!" he explained, one more time.

"Mhmm." The ecstatic Miko bubbled as she and Celi-sama stood together, making suggestions to the palace dressmaker as she pinned fabric to Yuuri, who was standing on a stool like a giant dressmaker's dummy.

"But the white looks so good on you, Heika!" Celi-sama added, noticing that the stars in Miko's eyes had pretty much blotted out everything else.

"I don't care about wearing white, I care about the skirt!"

"But it looks so good on you!" his mother finally piped up, clasping her hands together. Yuuri thought it was completely unfair that the two mothers-in-law should get along so well. It meant that he was double teamed any time he objected.

"Mom, it's _my_ wedding and I will wear what I want!" he said, stomping one foot on the stool, making it rock precariously.

Of course, they ignored him.

"Do you think we should add more lace?" Miko asked, tapping her chin. Celi nodded enthusiastically.

"Mom, Celi-sama, I am _not_ going to wear a dress!" he roared- wishing he could deliver the Maou Bitchslap of Justice on them both.

Three things held him back: They were women and family, he didn't know if he could still call his powers like he had in the past (since being de-possessed) and he was starting to bawl like a baby.

"I don't _want_ to wear a dress," he sobbed, hugging himself as tears and snot ran down his face. "I'm still a _guy_ and even if I don't have guy parts right now and even if I _didn't_ wear my homework I don't like wearing dresses!"

Both women stared for several moments, before rushing to his side.

"Oh, there, there, Yu-chan!"

"It's all right, Heika!"

Both mothers looked at each other, nodding. "Poor Yu-chan," Miko said, wiping his face with a handkerchief. "The mood swings have already started, haven't they?"

Yuuri's eyes went wide.

"Yes… poor boy, getting them from the beginning. I remember how it was with Gwendal, my oldest. I would go from teary eyed to laughing in moments… My poor husband had to put up with me blowing things up all the time..."

"I remember how it was with Shori _and_ Yu-chan. Both of them, I had the worst mood swings and food cravings," Yuuri's mother said, eyes distant as she kept wiping Yuuri's face.

Somehow Yuuri couldn't help but want to sink into himself. Was this what parenthood (motherhood) did to a person? He sank into a pit of despair.

"I hate this! I woke up just fine this morning!" he wailed, and his mother held him as he sobbed.

"It's all right, Yu-chan… you don't have to wear the dress," she said, attempting to soothe him.

Celi-sama nodded. "We'll just make Wolfram wear it."

* * *

Yuuri stood in front of the mirror, without a top this time, and was chewing his bottom lip.

"Wolfram."

His fiancé was sprawled out on the bed, peering up at he ceiling like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Why won't you look at me?" Yuuri asked, frowning. He'd noticed, in the past four weeks (weeks where he would rather forget) since his little "change" that Wolfram had shown a distinct lack of interest in…

Wolfram sat up and wouldn't turn around.

Yuuri put on the top of his pajamas.

"Wolfram, what's wrong?"

The blond head cleared his throat.

"There is something wrong, isn't there?" Yuuri could feel another mood swing coming on as he was suddenly _sure_ Wolfram was going to run away with another man. (He conveniently forgot that Wolfram had not only traded memories and Maryoku, but allowed himself to become possessed to save Yuuri.)

"Er…"

Yuuri felt tears start to stream down his face.

"I'm going to get fat and you don't want me anymore because I didn't do my homework," Yuuri sobbed, seeing the horror on Wolfram's face and totally misinterpreting it.

"You're going to leave me! You cheater!" he howled, grabbing hold of the front of Wolfram's uniform and starting to shake him.

"Yuuri!" Wolfram tried to say- though it was hard to get words out from between his rattling teeth.

"Oh god! I'm hurting you!" Yuuri whimpered, and dropped to the bed- and Wolfram just stared at him like he was a wild animal, and he wasn't quite sure if he was rabid or not.

"You're not hurting me," Wolfram said slowly, eyes wide, voice hoarse. "I'm just-"

"Oh god I hurt the father of my baby!" Yuuri was inconsolable, now pulling Wolfram to his chest and sobbing even more.

"Yuuri- Yuuri, I'm all right," Wolfram finally rasped, struggling to get air back into his lungs. He had _never_ seen him this hysterical. "Calm down you-" he swallowed- he remembered someone mentioning how dangerous pregnant people could be- "you. Just calm down, Yuuri." He had never thought _he _would be the one to do this, not really. "You're still adorable; I'd think you were adorable even if you were having twins!"

Yuuri's eyes went huge and he _howled_.

* * *

"I've been wondering when this would happen," Conrad said, resigned, as he put a cool rag on Wolfram's impressive goose egg.

He had the feeling Wolfram would have glared if he was able to focus his eyes properly.

"Having your memory gone is not going to make you lose your 'open mouth- insert leg' talent that quickly."

Wolfram grunted, even if he did look penitent.

"It's a delicate time and Yuuri's going to need all the support he can get," Conrad said, finally patting his little brother's shoulder. He didn't look like he was taking this very well. Of course, Wolfram was still Wolfram, lost powers and aging and everything. No one liked listening to his brother tell him were he screwed up, especially in regards to his pregnant fiancé. Even worse was when it had taken Gisela, both mothers, Shori, Conrad and Gwendal to get Yuuri to stop shrieking like a banshee and glowing blue.

(Apparently he most certainly DID have power left. Probably a good thing when it was the Maou that kept the bad guys in line long enough to fall in love with Yuuri like everyone else.)

There was a pause as Wolfram mulled over if he actually wanted to listen to Conrad or not, and then nodded.

"I have a feeling this is going to happen a lot, with Yuuri being so unprepared for the ritual and the results," Conrad's tone was dry. Wolfram opened his mouth.

"No- you need to listen. You need to do something to cement, once and for all, that you are his. Something unshakeable, something to prove that without a doubt you want-"

He stopped when he saw the extremely confused and contrite expression on Wolfram's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Conrad… Yuuri's body is female now…"

"I know that, Wolfram."

The prince groaned softly, and put his head in his hands. "Conrad- I have no idea how to deal with women!"

Conrad's jaw dropped. "Uh… maybe you should tell him? Oh shit."

Wolfram groaned more loudly.

"Well… um." Conrad had never really thought of this, and tried to find a properly insightful and wise big brotherly remark to salvage the situation. "This is still Yuuri. I'm sure you'll have no trouble figuring it out."

If glares could kill, Conrad would have still been alive but with all his skin flayed off and being roasted in front of him.

* * *

Yuuri was content, snuggled into his favorite armchair underneath the great book of Daikenja-sama's journal, with a small bowl of his mother's coveted miso soup.

He'd begun to crave the stuff, and pickled plums of all things.

Wishing he had one to munch on while he continued reading, he lost himself in the trials and tribulations of the life of the Great Sage.

_I have been informed that I take my study of all things mystic far too seriously._

_This was then accompanied by a having my under robes drenched and frozen that night._

_Perhaps I should not have told the Wincott brothers that my new friend liked pink. _

Yuuri wondered, for the umpteenth time, where Shinou and Wolfram were related.

The book was still extremely good- it was hilarious, it was sad, it was breathtaking at times…

He briefly thought about skipping to the end, just to know how it would turn out- but then shook his head. Yuuri knew how it ended- Murata, or rather, Daikenja-sama, died.

He didn't want to skip to that part.

* * *

Standing outside of Shori's room, Wolfram fidgeted.

He had a very important question to ask. Conrad had made a good suggestion, but Wolfram knew he would have to ask someone very close to Yuuri to be able to get this right. Someone other than himself or Conrad; and that person had to understand Earth customs.

And that person had to be able to keep a secret, neatly eliminating Miko.

Wolfram had sighed in relief when he'd realized that. He adored Yuuri's mother but she was nearly as insane as his own.

There was the option of asking the Great Sage, but somehow this seemed more appropriate.

Raising his hand to knock, he was nearly pushed over when Shori opened the door.

"Uh…"

"Wolfram?" Yuuri's older brother was still unimpressed with his fiancé. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a favor to ask," Wolfram said, trying to keep his hands off his sword. He really didn't want to get strangled again.

"Concerning Yuuri?"

"Concerning Yuuri."

There was a standoff, and Shori had to have heard about the incident yesterday.

"What is it?" the older Shibuya brother kept his face bland.

"I need to ask you how a person proposes on Earth. Conrad mentioned something involving rings, and I need to show Yuuri that I have no intention of leaving him, no matter what… So, I hoped this would be a good way to cheer him up."

Shori peered at him, glaring through his glasses, making Wolfram want to squirm.

"Do you really love my little brother?"

Wolfram nodded.

Shori pursed his lips.

"Usually it's a diamond ring. Come on- I'll tell you about it," he said, and opened the door wider.

Wolfram nodded in thanks.

* * *

"Hmm…"

"Hmmm…"

Yuuri was staring back and forth at his mother and Celi-sama as they stared at lists of the different rituals involved in the different weddings in the two worlds.

"Why do they need to jump over a sword?" Miko finally asked.

"Why do they need to share a drink from a cup?" Celi-sama countered.

It had been going on for hours, as they debated every single aspect of the wedding and the party afterwards.

Gunter had been firmly banished from the proceedings, leaving Yuuri and the two mothers. Yuuri was involved, because the one time they had tried to discuss plans without his attendance, he had flooded the study.

They decided it was safer just to have him there after that.

"But they shouldn't have to do that part naked."

"I agree- it was embarrassing all three times."

"How about breaking the glass?"

Yuuri felt like he was watching a ping pong match as they batted ideas back and forth. He was grateful that his mother had enough sense not to get him involved with some of the more insane Mazoku rituals (like where they would do naked handstands, or jumping over a flaming turkey) and Celi-sama made sure that a few of the important ones remained.

It seemed that no matter where you were, a marriage involved a promise, and the whole group acknowledging that yes, these two people were married.

Yuuri tilted his head to the side when he thought about that.

"You know," he said, when Miko and Celi paused to breathe. "Wolfram and I have kind of been married in our hearts for a long time now."

"You _eloped?_"

"Oh, Yu-chan, why didn't you tell us?"

Well, considering their little bedroom problem… maybe not…

"ACK!"

Maybe eloping wasn't such a bad idea.

To be continued.

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, but pure fluff drives me batty. Plus, I've been sick as a dog, and other things. I'm also sorry this one was so short, but if I was to go further, it might not have ended. For the record, I'm not thrilled with this chapter, but it goes with the plot. Yay.


End file.
